Katherine had never much been a fan of creepy things; the dark, silence and especially not this forest. It had a sinister presence that loomed and made the air feel thick and suffocating. However, she could not run like her instincts screamed at her to do. She had a job to do, an investigation of some haunted theme park. This was one of course that she wasn't too keen on doing alone and her partner had been busy, so a request for assistance was necessary. With some help, she wrote one up that read in quite unkempt scrawl:

[Need help with a job in the Spooky Forest. The place is about a mile in, meet just after sundown.]

Of course, being that she was still quite new to this reading and writing thing it was barely legible. She hoped desperately that somebody had picked it up.

The redhead wasn't quite sure what a theme park was; she'd heard talk of them in passing but her busy, always-on-the-move lifestyle kept her from exploring the more exhilarating and entertaining side of life. Though she supposed this would not be either of those things as it was settled in the middle of a fog-bogged forest knit tightly with drooping, tar-black trees with limbs that appeared as if they might come alive at any moment to grab her. She tried not to let her imagination get the best of her. One needed a crystal clear mind if they desired any form of success and she definitely could not accept failure. No... her newfound freedom would then be worthless. Escaping from the confines of a place just as dark and evil as the one she stood within at that moment had been a highlight of her second life and she wouldn't let that haunting experience keep her from excelling and pushing through the obstacles to come.

All fear and inner thoughts aside, the plot before her was massive. Buildings and mind-boggling structures towered with their decaying menace, shadowy and malicious in their efforts to both ward off visitors and welcome thrill seekers. Victims for its beastly stomach to digest as they would be devoured with eager jaws.

Since the winter wonderland ball and the unexpected party crashers of two unusual men, he had no idea what had been going on there as he had already left due to not feeling to well. From what he had been told by several different members of his own guild they seemed diseased but not in ways that they had every seen before. After putting all the pieces together he had those who had been near them quarantined for a short time just to make sure they hadn't contracted whatever the men had. He knew that place was eventually gonna bite him in the ass but there wasn't exactly a lot he could do about it, it was going to get discovered eventually but now he was wondering things. One of the things that weighed on the young males mind was if he had caused what had happened when he passed the barrier before, this was something that he would have to put out of his mind at least for now as there had been a request from a new member of the guild to do a task that seemingly was a little strong for them.

As the now CEO of the West Fiore Trading Company and guild master of its counterpart Onyx Moon he was expected to lead by example and so offered his assistance when he had time or was requested to do so, that being said this was also so he could meet and get to know the new member that would be joining them. From the little he did know from the vice president called Sol Terumi was that the two new members had come from the same guild that he himself came from. Ruvel really did hate dealing with former dark mages because of his own trust issues, Sol had proven that he had changed for the better but he was still wary of the elder mage. He remained quiet about such things however not wishing to offend the older male unless it was really needed and recently that seemed to be something that was needed quite often. He was thinking the unnaturally high aggression his current keeper of vice was showing was either due to being turned into what his guardians were or due to dealing with those samples he brought back from Tsak Ordahic. He was starting to feel so guilty thinking that this was the cause, he would hate to be the cause of such a thing but there was no proof as to why this could have happened.

Taking the internal request he moved to one of the meeting rooms that was in the reception areas, placing it onto the table 'Please help me read this?' he had ask the few summons that had remained with him, he had to admit that he felt cold even incomplete now without the noise he was so use to but hoped they would have full and happy lives now without him. After a long moment he heard a well known voice within his mind 'You need to learn how to read and write, we can't keep baby sitting you on this.' Oykai's voice sounded as agitated as normal 'Hush cousin, he is learning' The elder of the twins spoke, Ruvel was so glad the twin princes had remained with him with how Oykai was 'It is difficult to learn something new when you're mind is trained only to do things from ancient times.' the younger of the twins finished calmly 'I didn't see this in our contra-''Then you should check it over again Oykai, if you don't like it then lets end the contract and I shall let Demi know what is going on' Ruvel said with a slightly frustrated tone, he was sick and tired of being a doormat to his summons and wouldn't allow it anymore. This left the reaper stunned as previously he would have just taken it and moved on.

'We apologise for our cousin's behaviour our summoner.' Ammul spoke respectfully 'He doesn't interact with people other than reapers all that often and forgets himself sometimes.' Shindara continued to explain, in the back of his mind he could hear the huff from Oykai but he had decided to remain quiet for now. "Can you help me read it please?" he asked again, after a few minutes of silence he then heard 'We can not say as to the person's name but she is requesting help to investigate a haunted fairground.' Shindara said in his normal neutral tone 'It says the job is to take part within the spooky forest, they will meet the person after sunset and the location is said to be one mile in.' Amuul continued. Ruvel remembered having entered that fairground before but it hadn't been within the spooky forest but rather within Rose Garden Town. "I have taken the flyer so I will accept this task, I worry about any new souls that hellish place has taken since my last visit." he said with a saddened tone, he had grown stronger since he was last there but he knew nothing was as it was seemed and that he'd have to be on his toes while there.

Getting to the normal position he smiled and looked to the sky as he seen how clear it was "I ssannnnhan thi nnh tshh gairrtiin flinness shaf rredirrtsh" he finally called out taking a few steps back as he heard the screech and the sonic boom that followed, soon a golden phoenix had landed on the obsidian patched and was chirping nuzzling his summoner who was laughing stroking his beak "Time to get to the spooky forest, we need to stop outside because you will set it on fire." he explained hearing a kind of whistle that let him know that his companion understood, before he could even make a step forward he was picked up and dropped on the back of Bennu; knowing what was coming next the young blonde male covered his head though a screech and a sonic boom would again be heard as he took off. Those in the nearby area would be use to such a thing so continued as if nothing happened, children stopped to point and wave at the large fire bird and those visiting would have been caught off guard by the sudden noise.

During the flight Ruvel started removing lose and blackened feathers knowing that was part of his contractual obligations to his friend which made him chirp every time it made him feel better. Within hours the forest could be seen, he stroked Bennu's neck "Start descending, you'll need to be landing soon." he informed the young phoenix whistled in acknowledgement and started to slowly get lower landing without to much noise but still left a new obsidian patch where he landed. Lowering a wing Ruvel made his way off the summon and moved to be in front of him stroking his beak once more lovingly "Return home, mother will be worried about you." he whispered allowing the over grown bird nip at his hair for a few minutes before walking back covering his ears as a screech followed by the third sonic boom of the day as he took off the youth was knocked back onto his ass. Standing he dusted himself off and looked to the sky seeing the sun was lowering on the horizon meaning he had made it with a little time to spare, so made his way into the forest in the hopes to meet the one he was meant to be helping with this task.

Soon he would see the gate and a young red headed woman standing by them, this was one of the newer members he had yet to meet so his earlier assumption was correct it would seem. Everyone was entitled to a second chance and he was sure that Sol had already given them the warning of not endangering the company or the sanctuary offered by the company would be revoked. Getting closer he would stop and cough quietly as to not startle the other, he waited for a brief moment before letting a small smile creep over his face. "You placed a request on the board for help on this task and here I stand." the fourteen year old said calmly getting closer his hand going to his chest as be bowed forward just slightly "My name is Ruvel Mizune and I am the chairman of the West Fiore Trading Company." he said introducing himself before standing straight his hand lowering to be back at his side once more. "I have been within this fairground once before but it was within the Rose Garden, please keep your wits around you as the dead still suffer her or at least their memories do." his voice sounding solemn as he spoke remembering what he had viewed at the roller coaster when he had the massive blow out with his now student Masha.

Notes: Hover over the image at the top for word count, all future notes, pings and word count will be placed there. Spells will be placed here.

As the sun set the air chilled gradually and Katherine's skin prickled, instantly making her glad she'd gotten a proper jacket to wear. The soft wool lining kept a majority of the night's breeze from making contact so it was safe to say that for the night she would be entirely wakeful. Had she gone without she'd have dropped comatose the moment the cold reached her; and what good was she unconscious? None at all, that much was absolute. And then, of course, should someone come via her request for help, there would be questions. Many questions, she was sure, and no answers. The likelyhood of them assuming all she needed was warmth was null. They would more likely assume she was dead as she had no physical need to respirate and would therefore lay unconscious and unmoving, not even a twitch to be seen. The poster child of newly deceased corpses. She shuddered at the thought, being left alone in these terrific woods... presumed dead. If that happened she'd never see her partner again and then never get to tell him-

At the sudden sound of a quiet cough at her back, the redhead looked over her shoulder, her eyes widened a fraction in her slight state of alarm. The moonlight made her blind eye glisten as she stared down upon them, a person shorter than she. Blonde and with odd eyes not unlike her own, although she would assume that they were not half-blind like her. They smiled and she relaxed slowly, turning to face them fully so as to be respectful of their presence. She would sigh in relief as they mentioned her request, it being what had brought them to her. This was good, she'd not be spending the night alone with her wild thoughts. That would surely end in tragedy. She opened her mouth to respond but stopped when they bowed. It was a gesture she had never encountered the likes of, directed at her that was, and so she found it a bit strange, only blinking as she continued to watch and listen. They made their introduction and finally she would speak. "Ruvel... I'm Katherine. Neel. Katherine Neel, I mean."

She was quite frankly surprised when they mentioned that they had been to this park before when it had landed in another location. She found this interesting, but the solemn tone of their voice that came along with this revelation and it's correlated warning told her that it might be better not to give into her curiosity and ask about whatever it was that made them sad. Instead... "Oh, you've been here before. I imagine this will be helpful; I'm sure you are more familiar with this place that I am... I will take your advice, though." She turned again to face the gate and wrung her hands. "I meant to take this job with my partner but... he's been busy recently. He did urge me to go regardless so that's why I put up the request. She chuckled ironically. "I prefer to be with company for these kinds of things as... it's haunted. But so am I. Metaphorically speaking. Anyway-" She looked back at them with a shy smile. "Should we get going?"

Ruvel blinked for a moment as she spoke her name, it seemed like she was indeed one of the newly converted dark mages that wanted to start over with a new chance at life. He had no issue with this in fact he encouraged people to turn away from the dark path to the light, he knew the guild that he was in charge off wasn't purely in the light of the sun so to say but they could at least say they where graced by moonlight if nothing else. "I believe you have met one of my vice presidents, his name being Sol Terumi." he said calmly taking in every detail of the taller red headed woman, he was glad to see she had taken the initiative to bring a warm jacket with her. Her eyes however seemed like his own with the dual colours but he could tell by the colour of one that she was at least somewhat blind, this again didn't bother him in anyway his company and guild didn't discriminate in such a way. "As he likely told you, he himself was formerly a dark mage from the dark guild Basilisk Fang..." he began his tone soft yet stern at the same time. "The West Fiore Trading Company does not discriminate based of disability or past, I can assure you that as everyone has a history and no one is perfect; so the olive branch that was given to Mr. Terumi has been given to both you and your partner." his voice kept it previous tone on the matter.

It was now however the smile faded and he looked a little sterner but not enough to look angry or even seem threatening, that would do no one any good especially in such a surrounding. "That being said Miss Neel, I will give you the same warning that is given to every dark mage that is looking to see the light, even if it may only peek through the canopy of the trees." he said looking up using his surroundings as a metaphor, last thing he wanted to do was use moonlight as a analysis and she put two and two together. At that point she would become a threat that he would have to get rid of for the sake of a secret and that was something he would rather avoid if it could be helped. "The company is a family, the country its home do not place either of these things in danger or it will not end well for you." his voice still didn't seem threatening and he brought his gaze down from the almost hidden sky to look upon her once more, it would however be easy to see he was serious on the matter that he had spoken on. "I dislike giving such warnings to people, but there are thousands of people that work for this company within Tolgalen alone; many more thousands that work all over Earthland so it is prompted." he said his voice now saddening that he had to do such a thing but he didn't want those in his charge to lose their livelihoods or people such as himself who where trying to hid to be found. In honesty the cat was kind of out of the bag when it came to himself due to the 'God of Ishgar' title he now held, but that was tomorrow's problem and not something to worry about at current.

The smile had returned but it was faint "So longs you don't bring issues to my families door, you will have sanctuary and we will protect you both and your partner." he said calmly, it was clear he was a kind person who wants to help people regardless of what they might have done in the past, but also wanted to protect those whom relied on him at the same time. His eyes went to the gate and nodded to her words "Yes, it seems to travel around but it is to be expected as it seems to collect souls as it goes." he said in a soft whisper as he moved towards it, his hand going to the cold metal of the gate hearing the rest and shook his head "No, not really. The last time I was here I was with a girl that like everyone had a history... needless to say it didn't go well." he explained not wanting to go into the last visit here, it had taken months to undo what the last visit had done thanks to what Masha had done but that was something no one needed to know about. "We only got near two of the attractions when things turned sour so we ended up leaving, so I don't know this place that well. That being said the roller coaster is a horror story in its own right. I can tell you what I seen their instead of us going there if you would prefer but I don't mind to much." he explained opening the gate, as before it squeaked as it opened as if it hadn't been in years but the blonde haired youth knew for a fact that was the furthest thing from the truth. "After you Miss Neel, I swear while I am by your side you are safe." he informed her as he allowed her to pass the threshold before he followed her, as this happened he made a mental note that next time he ended up here he should bring some rust remover and something to prevent the squeaking as the last thing he wanted was to draw attention to whatever might be inside or even outside this moving soul collector. "So where would you like to go first?" he asked raising his hand and motioning to a nearby board that had a map of the entire theme park on it, unlike what anyone would expect it was almost as if the theme park had come to life the moment they had walked through the gates. He knew this was nothing more than a honey trap but unlike last time he had been here there seemed to be people walking around, he took note that though they seemed to look normal he could see otherwise "What a dangerous honey trap." he whispered more to himself than anyone else unsure if his current task partner had heard what he had said, not that he really minded if she did or not it wasn't exactly like it was a secret in any way.

It was quite unfortunate, the affect even a brief mention of her former prison had on her. She bristled and her soul, or whatever remained of it, went cold, ice like. No matter how hard she tried to shake off that horrible experience and leave it in the past, the reminders lurked behind every corner, seen and unseen. Her mark hadn't faded in the slightest, so there was that, but every person she encountered now found out some way or another where she had escaped from and thusly, without knowing her story, assumed she was dark and in pursuit of redemption. That was false, almost entirely. The only things she was in pursuit of were happiness and... her partner. But that wasn't something she'd ever willingly reveal to anyone.

Katherine let them talk, let them go through their spiel, with her head bowed and her expression pain-filled to the brim. Her lips were pressed into an uncomfortable grimace, but she wasn't angry. Only bothered. And quite eager to correct their image of her. "Ruvel... I feel it's important that I inform you... I wasn't there by choice. Neither of us was," she said, her voice calm but almost pleading, hoping to change their view of herself and her partner and perhaps give them a little leeway. "We were both manipulated and had no choice but to stay if we wanted to remain alive and someday regain our freedom. Where we differ is that my situation was much more brutal. I'll spare you the details of what I endured personally... unless at any point you feel the need to ask." That said, she would smile sadly as she recalled and pushed the memories back down into the vault of her troubled mind. "I can't speak for him, but I'm endlessly appreciative of what you all have offered us. It's been a long time since anywhere has felt like home to me."

With her focus now returned to the task at hand, she absorbed the information around her, spoken and unspoken. A park that collects souls... there must be some sort of trap then that makes this easy for it... It did concern her though that Ruvel wasn't as familiar with the park as she had initially hoped. Their reasoning was solid so she couldn't fault them, but it did raise the levels of risk in her mind. They were both pretty clueless it seemed.

She watched them open the gate and respectfully urge her in ahead of them, which in itself was a nice gesture, but she couldn't bring herself to thank them. Everything in her was screaming at her to turn around, to run, flee and the closer she got to the park the more dangerous it felt to step within its bounds.

As she stepped over the gate's threshold, it was as if the world before her shifted in and out of focus. The dilapidated surroundings of the park meshed with an image of its livelier days, or whatever this cursed place wanted you to think it was. The moss-covered brick pavers looked alive, the ground squirming with color. What she saw wouldn't solidify and it began to give her a bit of a headache. Thanks to her blind eye, the illusion was as ill-fitting as a sock with holes in the toes so wide that your entire foot could slip out the other end. Katherine blinked harshly in an attempt to make things appear clearer, but with no result apparent she came to the conclusion that the duration of the night would be spent in this dizzying haze.

In front of the park's map, Ruvel inquired as to where she would like to head. Before she could decide though, there were questions to be asked of her own. Having never been to or seen a theme park throughout her entire existence, she had not a single clue what anything on the grounds could possibly be. "Tell me... about this roller coaster you mentioned. I'm curious."

Ruvel listened to the red headed woman as she spoke, his dual colour eyes watching her face for tell tale signs of lies. He might have been young but given everything he had been through in that short life he had learned skins along the way, he could tell that this setting wasn't quite comfortable for the other but if this kind of stuff unsettled her then he was curious as to why she would have taken such a job. He remained quiet on such a thing right now as that wasn't his concern, he was there to get to know the young woman and help her through this task that she had chosen for herself. In honesty he disliked this place but not for the fact that it was haunted nor abandoned by whom or whatever built it, in fact he wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery and figure out who had set such an elaborate soul trap. The latter seemed like something that he might never figure out but at the same time he needed to try and stop it, this was what people were meant to do right? The question then became how can you stop something that has no fixed anchor and moves around at it's own will? Did it mean that this place had become sentient on its own due to how many people had already died in there? To the youth there were to many questions and not enough answers for them.

Once he himself had stopped talking he looked at her once more and recognised the pain and anguish painted on her face, he had seen it so many times before. He himself had had it plastered on his own more than enough during his short life thanks to those who had 'brought' him and hundreds of others 'up'. He understood having to do things that you didn't want to, forced into a way of life that wasn't what was meant for a person so this hit close to home. This was something he was still uncomfortable talking to people he had known for years and somewhat trusted, this person was still a complete stranger to him so there was no way he was about to open up over his own history. "I understand your pain Miss Neel, it is policy however to warn those who join us from dark guilds that we will give them sanctuary until there is a reason not to." his words were sincere as he spoke on both things, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable but he still had people that he needed to protect it was his duty given the position he held within the company and Tolgalen itself. He was still getting use to this task but had managed it so far.

He bit this inside of his cheek for a moment before looking to her "Why didn't you just take a job and leave then? What changed not that you found that you could leave?" It just seemed so strange that they apparently couldn't have found an opening to leave when Sol and those who had accompanied him around a year before had. As for the second question he needed to know more so as this could possibly bring trouble to his door and that was something he would rather avoid. There was of course the many security measures that he himself had implemented not only for his own protection but the clients, employees and those that called Tolgalen home but there was only so much ground he had covered thus far and no security measure was flawless as much as he might have wished it. He sighed closing his eyes "I am sorry for the predicament you found yourselves in, I know that kind of life and treatment can be rough. I'm hoping that being within the company will give you the sense of peace you've both been searching for." he said with a soft tone as he walked to the board to look at the map. "I'm glad you are settling in and hopefully we can get you out of the company dorms soon and into a house." he said his hand going to the map trying to ignore the music and the spectres that walked the park.

Hearing her question he pointed to where the roller coaster on the map to indicate the one that he had been to the last time he was here, it was then he realised that this park had gotten bigger since then and that worried him but for now he kept that piece of information to himself. He didn't see the need to scare someone who was already unsettled inside this setting "The roller coaster I went to when I was last here was this one..." he said quietly, his voice merely a whisper as he spoke. "I watched as happy parents and children as went onto the roller coaster..." he said his hand going flat on the map as his eyes closed head lowering as he remembered those screams as if he had been there at the time "The ride started and for most of the time on it everything was fine, then it sped up when it should have slowed... It went down the dip and their pictures taken just as the carriages came off the tracks..." he said turning to look at her "The screams in their last moments as they realised their fates... all recorded on lacrima crystals that still lay at the base of the roller coaster." he said his eyes showing pain as he spoke "The cars of the ride landed on many of them, there where no survivors and now they go through that same fate night after night in a never ending cycle from while they'll never seemingly escape from." he said giving her the information that she wanted, he didn't want to go back to that place but he had a feeling that they might end up their this time a round but who knew.

Her memories, those more specifically of her past life, were fragmented and in a constant state of disconnect. Not much fit together and therefore made no sense to her, but there were certain things that had returned to her in her continued consciousness that allowed her to understand people in ways she otherwise might not have. Being a guild master for example was something she had been well versed in at some point in time. Although it was no longer her position nor was it a goal of hers to ever regain that title, she could completely understand everything a guild master would do and must do for the ones they cared for. Katherine was immediately respectful of Ruvel, feeling as though despite his visible youth he was doing a much better job than she ever had. He seemed to be an honorable leader, wise beyond his years. And that coming from her really was something of a marvel.

"I respect that, Ruvel," she said, in reference to his policy. "Giving those with tainted reputations a second chance at an honorable live is very... noble." And she did find it so, truthfully. Not many are as forgiving as he seemed to be.

Of course then, for someone who knew not of her entire story, would come the question of why she had not just left. "Trust me... I wanted to leave the moment I got there. My condition however, prevented me from doing so alone. The cold and I, we're not friends. It has a knack for trying to kill me." Hence why she had brought a coat. A sudden coma would be quite a nuisance. "Aemon and I had met before the guild incident on a job we had both happened to take. We were fast friends and he saved my life. So when we met again in Basilisk Fang... he was determined to protect me. As long as Famine lived we were stuck because if we tried to escape she would come after us. And then she died. The plotting for our departure began, but it happened much sooner than I had anticipated. Famine's son pushed Aemon to his limit and as a result... he blew up the guild hall, flew us out and we landed in Tolgalen. Purely by chance, but I'm glad." This was the simplified version of the events, the details mentioned being the ones she figured would be most important.

Katherine smiled in slight as Ruvel apologized, not really feeling it neceassary but appreciating it anyway. "So do I," she said, her smile becoming more genuine. She blinked when he mentioned a house though. "Really? A house? That would be wonderful. I've never had one of my own..."

She could hear the pain in his voice as he spoke on the subject of the roller coaster, could almost feel it radiating. Then again, that was also coming from the park itself. The atmosphere was claustrophic with anguish. "I see... That's awfully tragic. I'd say it's not too important to see in that case and I doubt you have any desire to return to it, so we will stay away," she said, her voice softened. She eyed the map and took in every detail of it; the colors, textures. There were many things to see, but she was sure none of them would be enjoyable in the slightest. As far from the roller coaster as they could get though... she imagined that would be the most ideal route to take in this endeavor. She dragged her finger over the map, tracing the trails that lead away from the roller coaster until the farthest reach took her fingertip to the... "Aud... auditorium. There. Let's go there."

Ruvel watched the other not to sure what was going through the elder red heads mind, he didn't know her all that well after all this was their first meeting. He did want to find out more but it wasn't in his nature to push for such things, he was a very private person himself thanks to the past he had and so wasn't one to want such a past known. He knew the looks he would get from those at the moment that somehow respected him as not only a person but as a leader. Some would pity him for what he went through, others would doubt if he was even capable for the tasks he had, the duties that were and would be expected of him in the here and now not to mention the future. That was before he even realised that there would be people looking to cash in on him, he was being hunted by those who ran the facility after helping to end the lives of those who ruled it. They may have been gone but their positions likely had been filled within twenty four hours of the others deaths and orders to bring him back shortly following, only thing he knew for sure was that they needed him alive but that didn't necessarily mean unharmed. He knew of the bounty on his head in the underground thanks to it and done his best to make sure it wouldn't affect his guild or company but nothing was ever going to last forever, he knew that one day he'd have to return and end it once and for all but wasn't yet ready for such a task.

Hearing the other speak he came out of his head and paid full attention to her once more, unable to prevent himself from quirking an eyebrow when she said she respected his polices. They barely knew one another how could she respect his polices given she only knew one of them? This puzzled the blonde haired youth to no end but remained silent on the matter for now. "We all have pasts and are all tainted with one sin or another, who am I to pass judgement on you or anyone else who is just looking for a place to call home?" his words on the matter were honest, it wasn't like he could lie but then again she didn't know this about him. In fact the only person that did know was no longer with the company and where that should have worried him, it didn't because he knew that person would rather die than betray him in such a manner. He thought of of the adoptive elder brother he had and again wondered where Cirven could be and why he would not only abandon him but the guild he said he would do everything in his power to protect. The youth felt betrayed yet again but it wasn't like there was anything he could do, Cirven was gone plane and simple leaving Tolgalen, the company and the guild on the shoulders of the fragile youth.

Ruvel quietly listened to the reason she hadn't just up and leave the place she didn't want to be and it made sense in his opinion, while not being in the exact same predicament he could understand it being in something similar and seeing things close to what she was describing. "The elements can be cruel when they want to be, though, on occasion though they are kind and give as much as they take." he wasn't going to go into what he meant by that because it would be a tangled mess but it was clear he understood what she meant even if it wasn't returned. As she continued talking he listened intently, he was glad she had found an ally within the darkened halls of her former guild and prison one that would protect her like Cirven once did for him. "Mr. Terumi was once her second in command and left coming to Tolgalen much like you did seeking sanctuary though feared what his former guild might do in retaliation for his betrayal..." he started before leaning forwards smiling a knowing smile "We have defences against such thing and are likely one of the most secure places in all Earthland." he wasn't trying to boast the matter but given he was paranoid for his safety and the safety for others that where on Tolgalen, this was before even taking into consideration some of the priceless things they shipped for their clients it wasn't a illogical leap to believe that every precaution possible had been taken into consideration for safety and security. "We don't fear dark guilds and given we are a different continent we don't really fear the Magic Council or the Rune Knights either, that being said we do, do business and trade with Ishgar so we comply with the rules and laws set by them." he said thoughtfully though as of this moment there was no extrication treaty between the two, it was something he would likely need to look into at some point. Just what he needed more work.

He went quiet once more as he walked a few steps listening to the rest of it, it was sad to hear of someone's passing even if they were seen as a dark mage and evil to their core. He knew evil existed but when it came to people he just seen them as misguided, he knew he should hate them or in some retrospect fear them but in truth he pitied them for losing their way. He didn't know the woman once referred to as 'Famine' but he was sure that she wasn't always the way she was, walking the path of darkness, alone feared and hated by those that she was meant to lead but something must have happened to change the happiness and joy she once had into what it became. That was none of his concern however, he didn't know her before or after what happened and even now that he had heard of her, he understood nothing could be done for a dead person so didn't even bother wasting another thought on her or the matter in general. He stopped however hearing that her partner and protector was pushed beyond the point of return by Famine's successor, looking up he gave a small sigh "You will both be treated with respect by myself and those who live, work and visit Tolgalen and the trading company, however, please do not blow up the company building we will get upset and nothing good ever comes of such things for anyone involved." It wasn't a warning of any kind it was just he would rather not deal with such an aftermath of the fighting, the company had some of the strongest mages around at current. Then there would be the rebuilding before even the reputation of the company in general being tarnished for a while but then they had a good public relations team so they could spin it into their favour he supposed, he honestly didn't believe that such a thing would happen as they would be given their freedom to do what they wished within the law of course, shown respect and protected as one of the companies own if something bad was to happen after all everyone was treated in such a way until there was proof that they shouldn't be.

Hearing that it was by pure chance that they had landed on Tolgalen but was glad that they had he smiled a little "It's a slice of paradise that we try to fill with love and understanding for others, I'm glad you are both here and decided to join the company." He said knowing that the place that they called home was far different than anywhere else in Earthland for more than one reason but that was something that elder red headed woman and her partner would likely discover the more time went on and as they spent time inside Tolgalen in general. He had never known for one place to have so many biomes and cultures in one place, then there was the most deadly place on the entire continent that he was still trying to figure out what he was going to do about. Right now he had guards and new warning around the area to prevent people getting in or more to the point anything getting out; there was always that fear that something or someone would slip through the cracks but on that eventuality there was contingency plans. "I am glad you are enjoying your time with us Miss Neel." he said once more smiling, he wanted to tell her about the forbidden area but given their surroundings at current this wasn't the time or place for such a decision.

Seeing the genuine smile he couldn't help but feel his heart warming a bit more to the other and nodded "Everyone that works for the company has their own house provided for them by he company..." he began thinking a bit before he started to get into things "For a long story short everyone gets their monthly wage, before it gets given to you a small percentage is taken for the upkeep of the home and for the mess hall within the company buildings. It means anything you gain from the company or from going on jobs like this is completely yours." he said allowing her to know that everything truly was provided for and that she really didn't need to worry about things such as rent and the likes. "If anything goes wrong such as cracks, flooding or you need to upgrade because your family is growing or want a roommate you just need to let clerical know and the required maintenance or moving would be scheduled for you." he said hoping she understood that the company really did try to take care of everyone and their needs. "I have at least one home... never use them though." he said in a thoughtful tone, he knew it bothered some people but he was use to one way of living and it was something he was finding that he couldn't break no matter how hard he tried.

Hearing her words on the roller coaster he was thankful but shook his head "We should go there too Miss Neel, if nothing else than to gain the lacrima crystals at the bottom that hold their last moments." he took a long pause before he would speak again trying to keep himself composed and calm "If we can find out the names of those that have suffered tragedy here then we can find the people left behind and give them the crystals, it will be painful for them to witness I'm sure but at the same time it will likely bring a peace and some closure to these families that don't have any. Don't you think so?" he asked wanting to know the others input on the matter, sure he didn't want to witness that horrible sight once more but at the same time he knew that there where people likely looking for their missing loved ones that were hurting more. Hearing the other wanted to head to the auditorium first he nodded his head and headed in the general direction after checking the map, the atmosphere of this place felt like it was suffocating him and then there was the fact he was sure they where being watched by those who now called this place home now. He was told once that the dead envied the living and would try and take what was stolen from them if their death wasn't peaceful, in honesty he doubted anything in this place died peacefully so knew that he would likely have to call Oykai at some point to keep the dead at bay but then he really didn't know if that would be the best thing to do either. This place had him doubting things but he knew one thing for sure they would need to be on guard and keep their wits about them their entire visit to this forsaken place.